Story and Photography by Robbie Culver
Project first flight is intended to fulfill the dream of flying for those who may not achieve it otherwise. By providing a towed flight under very controlled conditions, those who may not be able to fly using more traditional methods are able to experience true flight — low and slow — safely and legally.
Designer Lee Fisher clearly did not like focusing on his own work — instead he wanted to talk about the mission and the team.
The mission of Skonkwerks is to inspire, educate, mentor, and enable youths, special needs, and adults to achieve the dream of flight in a solo towed glider flight. To achieve these ends through the development of a legal, safe, slow, tow-only aerial vehicle system.
Fisher says he was inspired by low and slow flying because it is “so beautiful.” He added, “I did it because of the challenge to build.” The towed air-craft is a SnapDragon 1.0. Fisher said, “It’s not an airplane; it’s not a glider; it’s not a trainer.” It weighs 139 pounds, has a differential tail, and is a very simple yet elegant design.
As with all projects, Fisher said this takes a team to achieve the goal. “To do this, you need a really dedicated crew that’s well-educated on how the thing works and how it flies.”
“You need a pilot. That can be anybody. You need a flight director that sits in back (of the tow Gator), holds on to the drop, and operates the throttle. And then you need an observer that videos everything, and then you need a driver that knows exactly how to turn the bridle out of the wheel.”
The speed of the tow depends on the weight of the pilot. Fisher says for his flights, the Gator is going about 20 mph. Lighter pilots may fly at 10 to 15 mph.
There are open-source partial plans on the Skonkwerks website, Skonkwerks.org. For those interested, there is also a Project First Flight Facebook page featuring videos: Facebook.com/groups/996863550844900.